Mike Evans had to explore what else was out there as a free agent, but in the end, the 30-year-old star wide receiver felt Tampa Bay and the Bucs were the best places for him.
“I obviously wanted to be a Buccaneer,” Evans said. “There were some things we were working through. When you play for one team for so long, you obviously think about what it would be like to play somewhere else and I have a lotta friends on other teams. It was a cool dream but Tampa is my home.”
Bucs GM Jason Licht, on more than one occasion, said he was hoping to make Evans a Buc for life. At 30 years old Evans showed no signs of slowing down. The question is will Baker Mayfield follow and sign an extension?
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“Me and Baker we played one season together,” Evans said. “I feel like we can build off what we did last year, so hopefully we get him back. I trust Jason and the front office, no matter what happens.”
Evans reportedly gets a 2-year $52 million with $35 million guaranteed. But according to Mike Florio from ProFootballTalk, it’s more like a two-year investment of $41 million with $11 million in incentives and escalators. What does it mean for Licht?
“Well it meant that my kids won’t ask me anymore when I go home when we’re getting Mike done,” Licht said amidst laughter. “We still have some work to do. But having Mike here for ten years and all the things he’s done it made sense to try and get him done first.”
Evans has been consistent ever since coming into the NFL as a rookie. He’s had 10 1,000-plus-yard receiving seasons totaling 11,680 total receiving yards and with a bunch of quarterbacks.
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Yes, he’s had Tom Brady, the greatest of all time but last season with Baker Mayfield who hasn’t signed back with the Bucs and is exploring all options even though he’s said he wants to come back. Is Licht confident he can sign Mayfield?
“I’m a confident person in general, so I’m confident that we’re going to be putting our best foot forward.”
If Mayfield doesn’t return, Evans said he can play with any NFL quarterback, but his preference is, of course, Mayfield.
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